


Seeking Refuge

by aeternamente



Category: Kissing in the Rain (Web Series)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 17:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2077587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeternamente/pseuds/aeternamente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe going to Henry’s birthday party was a mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeking Refuge

Maybe going to Henry’s birthday party was a mistake.

Audrey was sitting at a picnic table near the edge of the spacious courtyard behind Henry’s apartment. The courtyard was shared between the twenty-or-so apartments that lined it, but today, it was completely overrun with Mancusos.

Audrey hadn’t thought there  _could_  be so many people in a single family. And apparently this wasn’t even half of them.

So it wasn’t really surprising that she only said two words to him so far (a bright “happy birthday” as she’d handed over his present—an assortment of chew toys for his dogs, which felt like a bit of a cop out, but she kept blanking on things she knew about him other than that he had dogs and specks of green in his eyes), and now all she could do was sit here at the edge of a sea of people, most of whom she didn’t know.

They recognized  _her_ , of course. They had watched Henry’s films, after all. Audrey was getting a little tired of the sly-eyed comments she kept receiving. “So  _you’re_  Audrey. You’re even lovelier in person—I can see why Henry likes working with you.” “So nice to  _finally_  meet you. The things our Henry tries to keep from us, eh?” Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.

These comments were seriously messing with the mindset she’d been carefully crafting in preparation for this party—that Henry had invited her because she was a friend and a coworker. And people invited friends/coworkers to their birthday parties all the time and it  _didn’t mean anything_. See, there was Pippa on the other side of the courtyard smoking one of her ever-present cigarettes and chatting up one of Henry’s… sisters? cousins? She was losing track… Point was, Pippa was also there because she was Henry’s  _friend_.

(Audrey felt a little bad that she hadn’t talked to Pippa yet, but Pippa was starting to make sly-eyed comments too, so…)

Audrey finished the last of her glass of lemonade and decided she needed to use the bathroom (she didn’t really need to go, but that was her excuse—if anyone bothered to ask).

She walked around the edge of the courtyard, pausing along the way to pat the head of a smiling dog with a patch of brown around one eye (Bridget? Audrey was pretty sure that was Bridget), and slipped through the sliding door. It was quiet inside—almost everyone was enjoying the sun outdoors—and Audrey was grateful for the change in atmosphere.

"You’re Audrey, right?"

Audrey blinked and tensed up, and turned toward the voice—it came from a short, middle-aged woman with light brown hair streaked with gray and soft hazel eyes. She wore a flowy, burgundy-colored dress with a brown paisley scarf and generally seemed quieter and less assuming than the crowd of Mancusos outside. Audrey nodded.

The woman smiled. “I’m Carolyn—Henry’s mum.”

"It’s nice to meet you," Audrey said, and she found that she meant it.

Carolyn (Mrs. Mancuso?—Audrey felt weird about calling Henry’s mom by her first name—but no, she’d introduced herself as Carolyn, and maybe she didn’t even go by her married name, so best to stick with  _Carolyn_ ) was rifling through the cupboards in Henry’s kitchen, but when she found what she was looking for, she frowned. “Well this won’t do…” she said with a roll of her eyes.

"What?" Audrey asked.

Carolyn pulled out a box of Celestial Seasonings green tea with honey (Audrey didn’t trust tea bags that were pre-sweetened). “This is all he has,” she said with distaste, holding the top edges of the box with her fingertips as if attempting to minimize contact with it to the greatest possible extent.

"Oh, that is a travesty," Audrey agreed.

"He probably microwaves his water too…" Carolyn drawled. "Luckily," she continued, setting the unwanted tea back on the shelf and rifling through her purse, which was sitting on the counter, "I keep a stash of PG Tips in my purse for just such emergencies."

Audrey grinned. “I love PG Tips!”

Carolyn looked up from her purse and returned Audrey’s smile with dancing eyes (eyes that, incidentally, had specks of green in them). “I had a feeling I’d like you,” she said. And her words were frank and honest and she wasn’t insinuating anything, and it put Audrey at ease. “Would you like me to make you a cuppa?”

"Of course!"

"Lovely! Now, somehow I doubt Henry has a kettle about, so we’ll just have to make do with— _oh!_ " She’d been poking around in more of Henry’s cupboards, and now she emerged with a shiny new kettle—and a really nice one, at that. "Miracles do happen!"

* * *

Henry came inside about twenty minutes later to stock up on more hot dogs to grill, and was surprised to find Audrey and his mother chatting and laughing over steaming mugs of tea. The sight of them made something settle in his stomach that was maybe a little  _too_  warm— _too_  comfortable.

"Henry!" his mother greeted him. "I’ve just been seeking refuge from the crowd of Mancusos outside—don’t know what I was thinking marrying into such a large family. Thankfully, I’ve found someone to drink tea with, so all is well with the world."

Henry gave a cautious smile. “I know I don’t have the  _best_  tea here—”

"Oh, we’re not drinking  _yours_. I love you, darling, but your tea is horrible.”

Audrey giggled, and Henry turned toward her. He knew she was startlingly beautiful when she laughed, but she stopped abruptly once their eyes met.

They both looked down.

Henry remembered why he’d come in and crossed to the fridge to retrieve several packages of hot dogs. He gave his mother a kiss before taking his leave, then looked up at Audrey once more.

"I’m glad you could make it," he said. A part of him wanted to say something more honest—something that meant more, but his mother was there and it was embarrassing, so he just smiled and left.


End file.
